The space program is not only scientific in purpose but also is an expression of man's insistent determination to do the nearly impossible - to explore the unknown, even at great risk.
The era during which only governments could put hardware on the Moon is coming to an end. There are 26 private teams competing for the $30 million Google Lunar X-Prize - to be awarded for sending a robotic spacecraft to this nearby world that can roam at least 500 meters, and send back data such as a photo.
We don't know that Venus had oceans, but there's every reason to believe it did.
Note to academics: Aristarchus' track record of astronomical research would probably have guaranteed him tenure somewhere, if tenure had been invented. His stack of reprints included measuring the distances of the Moon and Sun.
There's no denying the public's appetite for cosmic discovery.
After decades of hauling telescopes around in the back of vans and going up to high altitude locations and so forth, I did finally build an observatory, here on Sonoma mountain.
Hubble is unique. Nothing else can do what it can do. Once it's gone, we're going to be paralyzed.
The Moon may not be quite as appealing as Mars, but it's still a complex and poorly understood world, with many questions still unanswered.
The future infrared space telescope will cover that area in a much more efficient manner.
OBSERVATORY, n. A place where astronomers conjecture away the guesses of their predecessors.
The day Apollo 11 landed, I knew men would walk on Mars in my lifetime. I'm no longer nearly so sure. The last budget put forward in Canada contained not a penny for Mars.
I personally look forward to building the Orion. I believe that our country needs to pursue that technology.
By going to Pluto, we have a chance to anchor, with real data, models of the early evolution of Earth's atmosphere.
Astronomy is not the apex of science or of invention. But it is a test of the cast of temperament and mind that underlies a culture.
I saw, in looking over Cooper, elements of a comet of 1825 which resemble what I get out for this, from my own observations, but I cannot rely upon my own.
Radio Astronomy has added greatly to our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the universe. The cosmic microwave background radiation, considered a relic of the explosion at the beginning of the universe some 18 billion years ago, is one of the most powerful aids in determining these features of the universe.
People keep talking about how we have to go to Mars. We may want to go to Mars sometime.
The solar system is completely wide open. Almost anywhere we go, I'm sure we would learn a lot.
The 18,000 NASA employees are full of galactic talents and abilities and are ready to accomplish whatever they're directed to do.
Sending people into space is very important culturally. That's really the justification. You cannot rationally justify it on the basis of the science and technology we get out of it.
On one hand, to be able to go from one direction in the sky to study such an object to another direction to study another object, and on the other hand to be able to maintain accurately the position in space.
I think the more people that can go up to space and look back is great, but it's not just this overview and look back effect. There's also a lot of concrete gains from getting more people up in space.
The pace of progress on Mars depends upon the pace of progress of SpaceX.
Hubble isn't just a satellite; it's about humanity's quest for knowledge.
The first year I was at NASA, I was only responsible for optical and ultraviolet astronomy. Frankly, there wasn't much else.
